Air conditioning apparatus



June 11, 1940.

F. BUTLER AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1936 Fred. 5L; I

. Hfs ATTORNEY.

Patented June'll, 1940 l a 2,204,401 e am coNDrrl'oNlNG APPARATUS Fred Butler,

Chicago, Ill., assignor to Fred C. McClellan, Chicago, lll.

Application June 18', 1936,Serial No. 86,020

1 claim'. (ci. 98794) This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus, and particularly to a novel three-way duct and' housing structure for such apparatus.

An object of the invention is the provision of a housing for a conditioning unitA of the type especially suited to installation in apartments or the like, and positionable relativevto a 'window to handle' ai-r in a manner to circulate outside air separately from the conditioned inside or.

. l0 apartment air, and the invention further provides means in such a device for adjustably positioning air circulating ducts relative to Windows of varying dimensions and sill height, the` said ad-iustable duct meansA bein-g separate from other duct means for handling conditionedair.

Other objects and' novel features of the i'n.-`

I vention will appear as the following'particular description develops in view of the annexed drawing. in which: s

20. Fig. l is a perspective of a complete conditioning unit; y

Fig. 2is a vertical section along the lines 2-2 ofFIS. l; f g

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section .along the lines r-a of Fig. 2; and

. Figi 4 isa fragmentary detail in section taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2. I

My improved conditioning unit is of a type particularly adapted for use with airv conditioning mechanism of the type including refrigerating mechanism having a motor driven compressor,

the usual condensing and cooling coils, and means for circulating conditioned air relative to the cooling coils. f The heat developed by the mechanism andheat exchanging elements of the latter type of mechanism is quite considerable, and where .the conditioned air is cooled as part of the conditioning process it is oi' course desirable to keep the cont0 ditionedV air separate from the air normally in contact with the refrigerating mechanism, and for the purpose of convenience in vthis description the conditioned air will be referred to as auch, while the other air circulated relative to the refrigerating' and conditioning mechanism will be referred to as secondary or unconditionedv air. A

^ Myimproved "conditioning apparatus I il as shown in Fig. 1, comprises an upstanding housing member VI2 having a vertical front wall -i4 and sidel and top wall portions |16 and i8. respectively.

- In the front wall I4 of the housing is' an adjustable secondary'air duct structure 28, comprising' a body portion 22' oi substantially rectangular of set-screws 25 suitably threaded'into the lower Aportions 32, 34 are substantially elongatedplates having their lower longitudinal edges -slidable Ain the lower channel 36 and their-corresponding shape and supported at its inner extremities byv a pair of sliding panels 24, 26, slidable in openended frames 28 and 28 secured to the wall i4 at'margins ofsubstan-ti-ally rectangular shaped openings in -the wall i4 behind the panels 24 and 26. The said panels. and 26 have their upper portions 24" and 26 constructed of a light and relatively ilexible metalwhich extends lovei` a lip portion 28 (Fig. 2) formed in the upper lat-l eral edge of guide fra-me 29,- just behind-and u inwardly of the upper horizontal portions 28, 28 of the adjustable frame structure.

Locking means to secure the slidable panels 24, 28 in frames 28, 28' are provided inthe' form end portions of .the outermost vertical members ,of the frame structure 28, 28'.

The adjustable duct structure 20 further 'comprises a second rectangular duct or sleeve `portion 23 having diverged sida or wing partsv 23'.ad 24 jacentits outer or intake end, and adjustable window-frame engaging means slidable againstsaid wing parts 23'.

. The adjustable window eng-aging structure comprises-a pair of extensible blocking wings 25 y32, 34, slidable in a bottom channel'portion 36 which is extended along the bottom horizontal edge of the'sleeve member 23, and in arr upper channel 38 in the upper horizontal edge of the member 23 extend-ing parallel tothe lower channel. The upper channel 38, however, is stepped back from the outermost edge 31 `of the said upper horizontal edge of the member 23. The wing upper longitudinal edges oiset to'form the angled portions 33 which are confrontable ontheir under surfaces with the correspondingly angled surfaces between the upper channelv 38 and the horizontal edge-3l on the top, outermost edge of the movable sleeve 23. The purpose of the angled formation in the .wings 32, 34 between the edge 3 1, and'upper channel v38, vwill -be particularly 45 pointed out hereafter, when the operation'oi the device is explained. e

The vadjustal'ile duct structure 22, 23 .is divided into two compartments vA and B (see also Fig. 3)

I by means of Van adjustable partition 40 in the 50 y lform of anjelongated plate having an outermost.

lateral edge portion 42 suitably angled and secured to a spacer 43 extended between the top and bottom portions of the sleeve 23, and being slidable against a` corresponding flared wall portion 55 44 (Figs. 3 and 4) secured at its opposite 1c tudinal edges 45 and 46 to the top and bottom wall portions of the stationary duct portion 22,

the sliding wall 40 being held in sliding engagev ment relative to the corresponding partition 44 by means of a pair of angle brackets |11, 48, extended laterally across the top and bottom walls of the stationary duct 22 on the side of plate 40 opposite to the companion plate 44.

The adjustable window engaging structure 20,

as shown Ain Figs. 1 and 3, is further provided with l baiiies 35'extended between the upper and lower wall portions of the` sleeve 23 at `the outermost extremity thereof and between the channels 36 and 38, the individual balile plates in compartment A being set to deflect air issuing therefrom toward the left in Fig. 3, and to take air into the compartment B from the region to the right thereof so as to keep the twostreams of air circuated in the compartments A and B separate.

Interiorly of the housing I2, as shown in Fig. 2, are two general compartments C and D formed by an angularly extending inner wall structure 5I) adapted to have a horizontally extending portion 52 underlying a part of the top horizontal wall I8 of the housing I2 and a vertical wall porthe detailed structure of which need not be re cited herein, but as already pointed out, such j a mechanism would include a'motor-driven compressor and condensing coils, all of which' would be a source of .heat which must be kept separate from the cool, conditioned air. Such elements of the refrigerating mechanism are preferably disposed in the compartment C of the structure, as shown in Fig. 2, while theexpansion or cooling coils partially, indicated at 60 in Fig. 3, are positioned behind a filter 62 which in turn is positioned behind an intake aperture or opening 64 (Fig. 1)

Motor means for driving an impeller 66 which is positioned behind the cooling coils 60 (Fig. 3) may be positioned in still another compartment E, separated from the compartments C and D by. a wall I1 (Figs. 2 and 3). rIjhe impeller 66 is of the type adapted to draw air in from the direction of the tracer -`row F in Figs. 1 and 3, through the lter 62, -the cooling coil 60, and thereafter angularly upward in the direction of the outlets 21'in the upper wall I8.of the housing I2.

Operation most edge of the lower channel `36 'rests upon the outermost portions 12 of the usual Window structure, and preferably so that the under surfaces of the members 22 and 23 rest upon the upper suru face of the sill. the latter depending upon the dimensions and angular disposition of the outer sill 12 relative to the main sill 13.

Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 3, the wing portions 32, 34 in the adjustable structure 20 may be slid inwardly or outwardly to engage the vertical portion 14 of the window frame, and the lower window sash 16 as shown in Fig. 2, may Y be lowered upon the upper angularly disposed surfaces 33 of the wings 32, 34 and also upon the corresponding angular surface between the edge 31 and channel 33. In this way the duct structure 22, 23 is in communication with a secondary source of air through the window, and at the same time such air is prevented from circulating within the apartment in which the structure is being used. The blower mechanisms associated with the conditioning apparatus and disposed wlthin the housing I2, are situated and constructed so as to draw air into the compartment B and circulate such air in the compartment C and the general regions lying below the conditioned air compartment D, and discharge such air through compartment A to the outside source beyond the window.

The air conditioning apparatus which is adapted to be housed within the compartment C, may include a fanfor cooling the conditioning mechanism itself, and such fan may be positioned relative to either Aof the ducts A or B so as to drive air toward the other and draw air directly through the first duct, or the fan may be so positioned within the compartment C as to drive -air directly out the duct A for example, and thus rcause a reduced pressure within the compartment which will result in an inux of air through duct B. In any event, the circulation of air within compartment C is to be effected, for purposes of greatest eiiiciency. by a power-driven impelling means associated with the conditioning apparatus.

-. Also, with the airconditioning mechanism in' operation, air will be drawn from the apartment or chamber being treated or conditioned, into the opening 64 in the direction of the tracer arrow F in Fig. 1, through the filter 62,'cooling coil 60, and impelling mechanism 66 as shown in Fig. 3, and thereafter discharged through the aperture 21 in the top wall I8 of the housing.

In this manner air may be circulated from an outside source through the mechanical and heat generating parts of the conditioning apparatus, and can be entirely separate from the conditioned air thereof by the particular duct structure I lhave disclosed.

vShould it be necessary to change the vertical level of the secondary air duct structure 20, it is merely necessary to loosen the set screws 25 (Fig. 1) and raise or lower the duct structure 22, 23- to ,the desired height relative to a sill 10 and reset the screws 25.

During such lowering and raising operation, the uppermost portions 24'., 26' of the slidable panels 24, 26being flexible, will be advanced or I vretracted within the structure 'and housing I2,

as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the lip portion 29' oi the upper lateral edge of the frame 29 being adapted to direct .the inward movement of such flexible upper portions to the region beneath the horizontal upper wall portion 52 and .againstl the angular wall portion 50, so that such fiexible panel portions will tend to curve `'back upon itself Y in the manner shown in dotted lines;

In adjusting the duct structure 20 and particularly the movable sleeve portion 23 thereof 'inwardly and outwardly upon the stationary duct portion 22, the partition wall 40 sliding against the stationary wall 44 in 'duct 22, telescopes in and out between the said wall 44 and the angle brackets 41, 48 and at all times keeps compartments A and B entirely separate.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a novel duct and housing structure for air conditioning apparatus, which is particularly adapted for use with window structures of varying sill height and frame dimensions, and which-is .relatively simple and inexpensive in construction, and while I have described my improvedconditioning structure or apparatus in considerable detail, I do not wish to, be restricted to the precise recitations herein but desire to avail myself of all the modications and variations coming within thescope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I Vclaim as new and'desire to protect by Letters.

Patent is:

`An air conditioning structure comprising: al

substantially upstanding housing having an apertured wall portion and a frame substantiallyibor-- dering the apertured portion thereof; an adjustable, multi-channeled duct member for said housing including a pair of telescoping y duet members .of rectangular shape having wide horizontally extensive top and bottom wallsv and relatively narrow side walls; means for adjust-ably supporting said duct member on said housing comprising a panelmember vertically slidable in said frame on the apertured portion oi the wall in said l housing and having a relatively ilexible portion extensible into and outv of said housing, one of said` duct members being attached at one end to said panel member and extended horizontally therefrom; and adjustablemeans carried on the movable one of said telescoping duct members for engagement with a window frame and sash structure, said, means including a wing panel slidable transversely of the duct opening, spaced channel portions in the free horizontally-extensive and outermost edge' parts of the said top and bottom walls of said movable duct member, said wing panel being disposed for sliding movement in said channel` portions; and eXpansible partition means in said telescoping ductvmember for the provision ofV aV plurality of channels therein.

- FRED'BUTLER. 

